Leroy Jenkins

Male | Composers

About

Leroy Jenkins began his violin training as a child, received a BS in Music Education from Florida A&M University in 1961 and then taught music in the schools of Alabama and Chicago. Having studied classical violin he was also influenced by the great jazz masters, and found a way to meld the two influences when he joined the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, a pivotal Chicago organization, which originated a vibrant new form of creative improvised music. Moving to Paris, Jenkins toured Europe with his first group: The Creative Construction company of Chicago, with Anthony Braxton and Leo Smith. In 1970, he came to New York and formed The Revolutionary Ensemble which toured internationally to critical acclaim, and went on to record five albums. In addition to touring his music was performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Albany Symphony, the Cleveland chamber Symphony, the Kronos Quartet among others. Jenkins also held residencies at many American universities and series such as the American Composers series at the Kennedy Center. He serves on the board of directors of Meet the composer in New York, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and as Artistic Director and Board member of Composers’ Forum. In 1989 Jenkins was commissioned by Hans Werner Henze for the Munich Bienale New Music Theater Festival to write the opera/ballet, Mother of Three Songs, choreographed and directed by Bill T. Jones. It premiered in Munich and was later staged by the New York City Opera, the Houston opera and was broadcast on German television. Jenkins has recorded 25 albums/CD's nine of which have been reissued.